The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the update of the driving licence directive and on the implementation of driving disqualifications in the EU.

Driving licence.
This update of the directive will have an important impact on the issuing of driving permits throughout the EU, updating the minimum requirements related to fitness of drivers across the EU, harmonising rules regarding probationary periods for novice drivers and creating a scheme for accompanied driving with a licence obtained at the age of 17.

Several key elements will be introduced by the update of the driving licence directive. First, by the end of 2030, a uniform mobile driving licence will be available for all EU citizens, placed in the future European Digital Identity Wallet. The digital driving licence will be recognised in all EU member states. At the same time, road users will have the right to request a physical driving licence. Both versions, physical and digital, will be valid to drive passenger cars and motorcycles for longer than currently the case, namely 15 years from the date of issuing, except from when the driving licence is used as an ID card (10 years).

Secondly, to improve road safety, a step will be taken towards harmonising medical screening processes applied in the member states. When issuing driving licences, all member states will either request a medical examination or a screening based on a self-assessment. Rules regarding probationary periods for novice drivers will also be harmonised: a probationary period for a minimum of two years will be established. During this probationary period, stricter rules or sanctions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs should apply, without prejudice to the member states’ competences to regulate drivers’ behaviour.

A scheme for accompanied driving will be offered in all member states for passenger cars. Member states can also offer this possibility for vans and trucks. Such a scheme provides the possibility for applicants to acquire driving licences in the relevant categories before the required minimum age limit is reached, while at the same time being accompanied by an experienced driver. Finally, adjustments will also be made to make it easier for citizens to acquire a passenger car license when living in a different member state than their member state of citizenship. It will be possible to take tests and to get a licence issued in the member state of citizenship, should there be no possibility to take tests in one of the official languages of the member state of citizenship.

Implementation of driving disqualifications in the EU.
A provisional political agreement reached by the Council and European Parliament will ensure that serious road traffic offenders will soon be held responsible throughout the EU for their offences, independently from the member state where these offences were committed. Under the current rules, member states that did not issue a driving licence may restrict the right to drive of a serious road traffic offender only within their own territory. Only the member state that issued the licence can restrict the right to drive throughout the whole EU. Therefore, currently, when a driver commits a serious road traffic offence in a member state (‘member state of the offence’) other than the member state that issued the license (‘member state of issuance’), the offender may not be able to drive in the member state of the offence but can continue to drive everywhere else in the EU.

However, with new rules agreed today, the member state of the offence will have to inform the member state of issuance of the driving disqualification enforced. The member state of issuance will then be obliged, under specific conditions, to impose a similar driving disqualification on the offender, making it effective throughout the EU. The agreed directive is expected to help ensuring a high level of protection for all road users in the EU, assuring the implementation of driving disqualifications imposed because of serious driving offences such as drink-driving or driving under the influence of drugs, speeding offences or a conduct infringing road traffic regulations and causing death or serious injuries to others.

When the member state of the offence imposes a driving disqualification of at least three months on the driver, and all course of action by the driver against that decision has been exhausted, the member state of the offence has to notify the member state of issuance using a standard certificate via the EU driving licence network (RESPER). The member state of issuance will then notify the driver – when possible – within 20 working days of receival of the notification and will decide whether to implement the disqualification. In certain cases, for example if the member state of issuance has reasons to believe that the right to be heard of the driver was not respected, the member state of issuance may decide to exempt the driver and not implement a similar driving disqualification.

Both provisional agreement will now need to be endorsed by the member states’ representatives within the Council (Coreper) and by the European Parliament. It will then be formally adopted by both institutions.

Source: European Council

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